For the past three years, Americans have been looking back at the Civil War during its 150th anniversary. The war, in many ways, still shapes America today - in areas such as race relations and the economy.

Historian Thomas Martin Sobottke relates the role of Wisconsin soldiers at Gettysburg.

This week marks the 150th anniversary of one of the Civil War's most famous battles. The Battle of Gettysburg was also the war's deadliest, and Wisconsin soldiers played a key role over its three days.

While the Iron Brigade, and its Wisconsin regiments, get a lot of the glory due to their fierce fighting in the American Civil War, there were other Wisconsin regiments which showed their mettle in battle.

Perhaps no story drives that home more than that of Arthur MacArthur of Milwaukee at the Battle of Missionary Ridge in Tennessee, November 25, 1863.

As the country heads to the fiscal brink amid political posturing, it's easy to think that our current political environment is more polarized than it was in the past - that back in the old days, consensus was the norm, politicians didn't calculate with precision their next moves, and war wasn't politicized.